For the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2017 Solar Decathlon competition, Team Vegas, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, introduces Sinatra Living, a house designed for aging in place and withstanding desert climates while maintaining the intense solar power standards that the competition requires.
In its research, the Team Vegas found that 45 percent of homes will have someone 55 or older by 2020. That’s why the home features wheelchair accessibility, height-adjustable countertops and shelves, nonslip flooring, and temperature, lighting, and extensive security controls that can be operated from a mobile device.
To keep out the desert heat, the home has a tight envelope and a low-energy LED lighting system. The home collects rainwater and reuses it for outdoor landscaping, and a green wall inside the home will add air circulation to a building with little outside airflow.
“We designed a home that lets you live passionately by embracing every moment, simplifying your life, and giving you freedom,” the team’s project statement says.
Here are six of the energy efficient products found in the home.
This story is part of a series covering the U.S. Department of Energy’s biennial Solar Decathlon competition, which will occur in Denver, Colo., from Oct. 5-15. Leading up to the event, the PRODUCTS team is bringing you the coolest green building and design products in a number of the 13 competing universities’ homes.
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